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Investigative journalists from TV3 Catalan TV, recently came to my home to interview me for the programme “30 Minuts“. We talked about the need to transform our food system and our diets, get agroecology to replace conventional farming, the role of the supermarkets and the role of policies.

This interview – made in my home – will be aired on the programme “30 minuts” on December 9th.

Anabel Pascual, a journalist with EFE, the Spanish news agency, interviewed me this week about how Spain is performing in the organic sector. Here’s my analysis on what is behind the latest Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) figures and my suggestions for consolidating the sector:

Spain has more land area dedicated to organic farming than any EU country. With two digit growth figures, its organic market is performing well (+25% in 2015 and +13% in 2016 – latest figures available). All this is encouraging for the future of the sector and it is rightly something the Mapama (Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente) should be proud about. On the cover of Mapama’s organic strategy document for 2018-2020, we can read “España, primer país de la UE y cuarto en el mundo en Superficie Bio” (Spain, first EU country and 4th in the world in terms of organic surface [area dedicated to organic production]). Also, “Bio, Eco, Orgánico, Más que Verde (more than green)” and they are damn right! However, organic means a bit more than a green grazing field. Organic farming can greatly contribute in achieving: zero hunger, good health and well-being, clean water, decent work and economic growth, climate action and few more objectives of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) defined by the UN.

The share of organic land in Spain is 8.7% of the total arable land, – the rest is occupied by so-called “conventional farming”. This leaves Spain in 12th position of the EU ranking (as an indication Sweden has a 18% organic land share and Italy 14.5%). Despite their best efforts, Spanish organic farmers can’t offset the scandal of El Ejido near Almeria with its “Moroccan slaves and 50km sea of plastic”.

More than half of Spain’s organically farmed land is grazing land, which might be good news for livestock but not for the climate. If we consider organic agriculture as a tool for answering sustainability challenges, overall the level of organic farming in Spain, while good, is not sufficient to answer the challenges of climate change, soil erosion, or rural exodus. More efforts should be done towards to develop organic arable land. In this regard, the high level of conversion to organic is a great news.

Then we come to the organic market. The double digit growth (+25% in 2015 and +13% in 2016) makes the +2% growth of conventional food sales look pale. Nevertheless we must mention the low starting point, and the fact that Spanish consumers only spend €36 per person on organic food per year, half of what the EU consumers spend on average. This figure relegates Spain to 15th position of the EU rankings (photo). There is room for improvement.

A first step might consist of developing and promoting domestic consumption. As it stands, Spain remains an exporting country and too little is done to promote organic consumption internally. Parallel to this effort in raising awareness, there is an urgent need to diversify the products on offer, and to challenge the sale channels. Too often, shopping organic in Spain is a mission, that is often expensive and sometimes does not deliver in terms of quality. Spanish organic consumers deserve an enjoyable, affordable, and social shopping experience while buying organic. This is necessary in order to reach new consumers and maintain their interest in organic food.

Finally, the sector needs representation. Spanish organic farmers, producers and processors do not have a structure that allows them to speak with one voice, as it the case in most EU countries. Often, they belong to traditional farming associations that can defend organic production only to a point, considering the sometimes clashing interests with conventional producers (this problem is exacerbated in Catalonia where there is a powerful porcine industry and also a high concentration of GMO cultivation. The Mapama itself tried to address this issue, with inconclusive results.

This point is particularly important, as the sector is facing important policy reforms in the coming months, with the finalisation of the new EU organic regulation, and the new version of the PAC currently being discussed. Spain is now at a crossroads, and can either create a strong organic sector capable of feeding its population, while correcting the current plagues of the traditional food system (pollution, obesity, desertification, rural exodus) or it can continue focusing in supplying other EU countries.

Nuremberg, Germany, February 12, 2018:- As global organic food producers converge on Nuremberg for BIOFACH, the world’s leading organic food trade fair, Catalonia – a pioneer of organic farming since the 1970s – can become a world leader in the sector, according to international organic food consultant Nathalie Parès.

Local demand for organic food is growing rapidly: +37% in 2015 compared to the previous year (+25% for Spain for the same period – latest available data) and, at the current rate the Catalan certification body CCPAE predicts that organic’s market share could reach 25% of all food sales by 2020 (1).

However, with only 12% of Catalan farmland dedicated to organic production, Catalan customers – who have an affinity for proximity “km0” products – currently depend on organic suppliers from other countries. A recent study from 2014 demonstrates that by converting all of Catalonia’s farmland to organic, combined with a move towards a healthier mediterranean diet and less meat consumption, could not only fully satisfy the demand for organic products, but could actually achieve food sovereignty for the 7.5 million people living in Catalonia.

“With demand for organic food soaring in Catalonia, there’s never been a better time for Catalan producers to switch to organic production. Instead of being the EU capital of GMOs (2), Catalonia could become the beacon of organic food and gastronomy”, said Nathalie Parès, a Barcelona-based international organic food consultant and IFOAM Organic Leadership Fellow, currently present at Biofach.

“There are several steps needed to forge a brilliant future for the Catalan organic sector. First, the sector needs to organise itself to speak with one voice to defend its interests, as has happened EU countries like France (FNAB), Italy (FederBio) or, more recently, Organic Sweden. Second, Catalan distributors and retailers must find a new ways of selling organic foods, and break with the lack of choice, poor quality and high prices currently offered by retailers. Finally, politics matter; some political movements in Catalonia have demonstrated their readiness to take environmental and sustainability challenges seriously. The third report on climate change in Catalunya (2016) lists organic farming as a way to adapt and mitigate climate change (3) – which is quite remarkable and something the sector should take advantage of”.

Four countries in less than ten years, several bosses and apartments, and the same reflex when I land in a new place: where do I find organic food? After all, moving house makes a woman hungry.

Sant Cugat, near Barcelona, is where I currently live and it’s where the organic shopping journey starts. We are 20 minutes away from Barcelona, separated from the Catalan capital by the immense natural park of Collserola. This city of almost 90,000 inhabitants claims it has one tree per inhabitant. Under the green canopy, it seems to have almost as many swimming pools. Sant Cugat, actually one of Spain’s richest cities, is lead by a very agile female politician, Mercé Conesa, who makes smart cities looks easy and invites Jeremy Rifkin to talk about the Internet of Things at the local theatre. The streets are full of smart lampposts, joggers, families pushing prams, and fancy food businesses. But, I am not into jamón, (here is why: “Spain, towards a pig factory farm nation?”), and I look forward to the day cupcakes will become massively extinct. You see, I need to cook something for tonight.

Day 14 of the start of the hunger strike by 4 of the Catalan political prisoners in the heart of Europe- Does someone have to die before political leaders across Europe will take a minute out of their day & raise their voices? #Catalonia #LlibertatPresosPolitics🎗 https://t.co/xA7sB7456g

This morning, the god of the #ocean Poseidon arrived with his highest official Minister for the Ocean, to tell @EU_MARE @EUCouncil that we need action now to #EndOverfishing. Over 350,000 #EU citizens are behind you! It’s for our future, and our now.